MEd & MIT in
Elementary Teaching/K–8

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About

Eastern Washington University’s Master in Teaching (MIT) is a graduate degree program designed for individuals planning a career change into the field of teaching. The elementary major program, accredited by the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), offers you the opportunity to acquire a:

  • State of Washington elementary teaching certificate in grades K-8
  • Master of Education (MEd) degree in elementary teaching

The MIT program is rigorous and full-time, blending an incremented field experience throughout a full-year internship in a classroom accompanying day and evening classes. Coursework will be linked to classroom experience and will meet statewide certification requirements for teachers. This 5-quarter program also follows a cohort model — each cohort begins in summer and concludes the certification stage at the end of the following summer quarter. The MEd degree will be granted after completion of the next stage of the program, which requires additional coursework and a final orals defense.

Endorsements are not included in this program. Endorsements are included in a teacher’s licensure to denote which subjects and grade levels they are qualified to teach. If you plan to pursue an endorsement, it is recommended that you complete the associated coursework after obtaining your master’s degree by completing an add-on endorsement.

Curriculum & Requirements Sample Course Schedule

Preadmissions Testing

The following must be completed for certification and the majority must be finished before admission to the MIT program:

  • Prior to admission applicants must take the WEST-B (Washington Educators Skills Test-Basic) or an approved alternative (SAT or ACT).
    • If SAT or ACT was taken, based on test date, you may be required to complete one or more sections of the West-B test.

If you have questions regarding pre-admission testing requirements, please contact educgrad@ewu.edu.

Application Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university
  • A calculated GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded post-secondary credits

Application Process

  1. Completion of bachelor’s degree and pre-admission testing.
  2. Complete the online application – choose Education: Masters of Teaching – MED
    • Payment of $75 application fee
    • Upload one official transcript sent directly from each university and/or college you have attended to the EWU Graduate Application
    • Upload a one-page personal statement
    • Upload a Resume
    • Provide three professional references (names and email addresses) sent to educgrad@ewu.edu.

Upon review of your admission materials, you may be invited to an online interview for further consideration in the MIT program. Upon acceptance, online orientation will begin in May. If you have questions, please contact the MIT Coordinator, Russ Pounds, at rpounds@ewu.edu or 509-359-2500.

Apply by April 1, at 5 p.m. for the Summer 2024 cohort. This program only starts in the summer quarter. 

Apply Now

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Master in Elementary Teaching (MIT): Teaching (K–8), Master of Education in Education (M.ED)

MIT Elementary Teaching (K–8) M.Ed.–earn certification + MEd: a program designed for those candidates who desire an MEd degree and a Washington residency teaching certificate for teaching in the elementary grades. This program is available to candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education interested in receiving both an MEd degree and a residency teaching certificate for teaching in the elementary grades. Contact an advisor in the School of Education.

Additional Program Requirements

  • Prior to admission applicants must submit scores for the WEST-B (Washington Educators Skills Test-Basic) or an approved alternative (SAT or ACT).
  • Applicants go through a pre-approval interview process.
  • All candidates must take the Elementary Education NES 102 and 103 content tests prior to student teaching.
  • Candidates will participate in a year-long clinical experience in a school.
  • All prerequisite courses must have been completed within the last 6 years.
Additional undergraduate courses must be completed for certification
ART 390ART IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3
EDUC 308FOUNDATIONS OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT3
EDUC 508UNDERSTANDING LITERACY INSTRUCTION K-86
MUSC 450INTEGRATING MUSIC INTO ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM COURSES3
PHED 390HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS3
SPED 363INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION4
Total Credits22
Required Common Core
Psychological Foundations
EDUC 522TRANSFORMATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING4
Historical, Philosophical and Social Foundations of Education–choose two
EDUC 505CURRENT ISSUES IN EDUCATION4
or EDUC 506 EDUCATIONAL SOCIOLOGY
or EDUC 500 FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION/MIT
EDUC 502HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION4
or EDUC 507 PHILOSOPHY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL
Research and Applied Experience
EDUC 520METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH4
EDUC 600THESIS (both are variable credit–5 credit minimum)5
or EDUC 601 RESEARCH REPORT
Elementary Teaching Area Specialization
EDUC 510CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT4
EDUC 538MEDIA LITERACY FOR TEACHERS4
EDUC 563SCHOOL LAW (MIT)2
EDUC 570ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAMS4
EDUC 572MATHEMATICS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EDUC 574SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EDUC 576ADVANCED LITERACY METHODS4
EDUC 695INTERNSHIP ( variable credit–15 credit minimum)15
Total Credits62